“Pastry Stouts’ are in high demand in the beer world. Today it’s Charlotte, North Carolina’s Unknown Brewing’s turn to release one, using two of the world’s rarest beans.

The first bean is the “Black Ivory Coffee” bean, one of the rarest coffees on Earth. The raw beans pass through the digestive tract of elephants and are very literally pooped out. (Similar to the Kopi Luwak coffee that passes through a civit.) Around 1000 pounds the coffee are produced a year, running over $100 dollars a bag.

Tongan vanilla beans are the second rare bean in Unknown Brewing Rarest Bean. Just one of the beans can run almost $20 dollars each.

Both rare beans have been added to a 12.5% alcohol by volume imperial stout and allowed to age. The result is a beer that should prove to be both rare and decadent.

Unknown Brewing Rarest Bean will be available in 16.9-ounce bottles in the brewery’s taproom on February 16th.

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